Hotels of Islington – Past and Present

There have been a number of pubs historically located in the Islington area. Islington Hotel was apparently removed from Hillsborough and re-erected at Islington although we are unsure of the dates. This pub was later renamed the Parkview Hotel,1 the license for which was granted in 19302.

Source: provided courtesy of University of Newcastle Cultural Collection

The Criterion Hotel, located at 139 Maitland Road began trading in 18902. In her reflections on Islington when she was growing up in the depression, Elaine Richards noted that ‘Billy Jacobs lived on the corner. He used to drink at the Criterion on Maitland Road along with just about everyone else from Iso. You’d see them weaving their way home after the six o’clock swill, some of them with blood streaming down their faces from the many brawls that erupted at closing time’. 3 The original style replicated a ‘french renaissance era’ design with iron posts, an ornate iron balcony and ornate brick parapets (photo below). This style was replaced in the later 1930s with more modern bright tiled walls, cantilevered awning and a simple tiled roof2. After a number of name changes this hotel is now called the Gateway.

In 1890 the Watt’s Family Hotel (photo below) was also located at 130 Maitland Road1 (possibly where the ISP is now located).

Source: Ralph Snowball, University of Newcastle Cultural Collection

The Hamilton Station Hotel began trading in 1892 on the corner of Fern and Beaumont Street (below is a photo from 1892). Its original style was similar to that of the Criterion Hotel (see above) but it too was rebuilt by 1940 with tiled walls up to a cantilevered awning just as it still stands today.2

The Changing Station Hotel on the corner of Fern and Coal Streets was licenced between 1890 and 1930 with John Cook as foundation licensee. In the photo below,on the left of the hotel, is a building from the former Hamilton loco depot, an important employer in the region. A gas works was built behind the hotel to the right. The hotel had been demolished by 1992.

Source: ANU Archives via Ed Tonks Lost Newcastle

The Wickham Park Hotel has also had a long history in Islington where it was build in 1889 on land that was originally owned by Henry Dangar (the Surveyor of Newcastle) when Islington was still known as Georgeville2. The hotel was also remodelled so that the ornate balconies were replaced by a cantilevered awning as it still can be seen at 61 Maitland Road today (below is a photo from 1934).